(5553) Chodas Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 6 February 1984 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.
Paul W. Chodas (1952- ) is a member of the Solar System Dynamics Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His work has contributed to the understanding of cometary nongravitational forces, the use of radar data in asteroidal and cometary orbits, orbital error analyses, earth close approaches and impact probabilities. He developed the system that allowed the use of radar landmark data on the surface of Venus for improved orbital solutions of the Magellan spacecraft. Citation prepared by D. K. Yeomans, a colleague of the honoree.Naming citation (MPC22831), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Chodas is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Chodas is 3.25 au from the Sun and 2.82 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 5553 |
| Provisional designation | 1984 CM1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 9.98 km (#5,104 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.112 |
| Rotation period | 6.96 hours |
| Spectral type | Ch |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.46 |
| Orbital period | 4.53 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.74 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.18 – 3.30 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.205 |
| Inclination | 9.78° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.19 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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